Eye for dolls



July 10, 1962 H. R. BEEBE EYE FOR DOLLS Filed Nov. 3, 1959 INVENTOR. #[ABi/Pf a 3:55: BY 7/ Arron/5x5 United rates 3,043,051 EYE FOR DOLLS Herbert R. Beebe, Richmond Hill, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Doll 8: Toy Corp., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 3, 1959, Ser. No. 850,676 1 Claim. (Cl. 46-466) This invention relates to eyes for dolls.

An object of the invention is to provide an eye which is constructed to present a realistic appearance closely simulating the human eye and which appears to be focused on an observer in any angular forward position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a transparent eyeball shell having a recessed forward portion which is colored on the inside face thereof to represent the pupil, iris and sclera portions of the eyeball.

A further object of the invention is to provide an eyeball shell arranged in fixed position at an eye opening and which includes a centrally disposed circular forward portion of concave-convex formation in section arranged with the convex face disposed forwardly and surrounded by an outer convexo-concave portion arranged with the concave face disposed forwardly, which portions are recessed in the forward portion of the shell and are transparent and colored on the rear faces thereof to represent the parts of the eye visible at the eye opening.

A further object of the invention is to provide an eyeball shell which includes an integral structure incorporating all the features of an eye and which may be conveniently secured in fixed position in the head of a doll with an eyelid mounted for movement through a slot in the shell.

A further object of the invention is to provide an eyelid mounted within the eyeball shell disposed in protruding relation through an opening in the forward portion of the eyeball shell and having counter weight for relative movement of the eyelid and shell to cover the forward portion of the shell when the doll is disposed in a reclining position.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dolls head provided with eyes constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken approximately on line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the eyeball shell shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a view of the parts of the shell shown in separated juxtaposition.

Referring to the drawings, an eyeball shell 9 is provided which is composed of front and rear sections 10 and 11. The shell 9 is arranged within a substantially spherical wall 12 which is formed integrally with the dolls head 13 and extends inwardly from an eye opening 14 and provides an eye socket 15. The dolls head 13 together with the wall 12 are preferably of synthetic thermoplastic material which permits of sufficient enlargement of the eye opening 14 for insertion of the shell 9 into position in the eye socket 15. V

The front section 10 of the shell 9 includes a rear wall part 16 and a forward wall part 17. The rear wall part 16 is in the form of a frustum of a hollow sphere with an oval shaped forward edge. The forward wall part 17 is recessed inwardly from the oval shaped forward edge of the rear wall part and accordingly has an oval shaped periphery at the juncture with the rear wall part. The forward Wall 17 includes a circular cen-; tral portion 18 of concave-convex formation in section 3,043,051 Patented July 10, 1962 and an outer convexo-concave portion 19 surrounding the circular portion 18. The circular portion 18 is disposed with the convex face 20 arranged forwardly while the outer portion 19 is disposed with the concave face 21 arranged forwardly. The recessed portion 17 is of transparent material and the same is colored at the rear thereof to provide a pupil 22 and a striated iris 23 on the concave face of the circular portion 18 and with a white coating 24 providing the sclera on the convex face of the portion 19.

The wall 12 retains the shell 9 in fixed position in the eye socket 15 with the pupil, iris and sclera visible at the eye opening 14. The arrangement of the eye parts on the inner concave face of the convex portion 18 functions to present the appearance that the eye is focused on an observer in any angular forward position and follows the observer during movement from one forward position to another.

Mounted within the front section 10 of the shell 9 is an eyelid 26 of arcuate formation in section corresponding substantially to the arcuate formation of the rear wall part 16. The eyelid 26 protrudes through an arcuate slot 27 in the forward wall part 17 and has eyelashes 28 aflixed to the protruding edge thereof. The eyelid 26 is relatively movable with reference to the front section 10 through the slot 27 into covering relation with the eye when the doll is disposed in a reclining or sleeping position. For this purpose the eyelid 26 is affixed to the upper end of a weighted member 29 mounted on a cross shaft 30 pivoted in bearing openings 31 in the opposite sides of the section 10. The eyelid 26 is retained in narrowly protruding relation in the slot 27 when the doll is in upright relation and when moved to reclining position the weighted end 32 of the member 29 functions to prevent rotation of the eyelid with the movement of the doll toward reclining relation.

The eyeball shell 9 snugly fits the spherical wall 12 so as to retain the shell in position therein. The rear section 11 thereof is telescopically secured on the front section 10 and is in the form of a frustum of a hollow sphere with a flattened rear wall 34. There is thus provided an eyeball shell which includes all the features of an eye together with an eyelid and which can be readily inserted in position in the dolls head.

While the preferred form of the invention is shown,

and described herein, it is to be understood that the same is not so limited but shall cover and include any and all modifications of the invention which fall within the purview thereof.

What is claimed is:

A dolls eye comprising a spherical-shaped eyeball shell having front and rear sections, the front section having an oval-shaped forward edge and a rear wall part in the form of a frustum of a hollow sphere, the rear section having a forward wall part in the form of a frustum of a hollow sphere, the forward wall part of the rear section being secured to the rear wall part of the front section, the front section having an oval-shaped forward wall extending inwardly from the oval-shaped forward edge, said forward Wall including a circular central portion and an outer portion surrounding said central portion, said central portion having a, forward convex face and said outer portion having a forward concave face, the inner face of the convex portion being coated with colored material to provide a pupil and an iris on the central portion and a sclera coating on the inner face of the outer portion, the outer portion having an arcuate slot adjacent the upper edge thereof, an eyelid of arcuate-shape in section protruding through said arcuate slot, eyelashes secured to the protruding edge of said eyelid, and weighted means connected to the eyelid, said weighted means being pivotally mounted within the front section counterbalanc- 7 Fauer Mar. 1, 1921 7 4 Heina. Mar. 2, 1954 7 Wagner Aug. 10, 1954 FOREIGN: PATENTS France July 13, 1931 Australia Dec. 17, 1936 Great Britain Aug. 23, 1950 Germany Aug. 9, 1951 

